When you think of our friend, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, you probably aren’t thinking of words like hip hop or rap. That’s just a guess. But Nancy’s words are featured on the hip-hop album, The Mosaic Mixtape by Joseph Delacruz and Jose Canas.
The Mosaic Mixtape was released in August 2012 and is the collaboration of two artists in different crafts:
- DJ Average Joe (aka Joseph Delacruz), producer, DJ, turntablist, and engineer
- Zae da Blacksmith (aka Jose Canas), rapper.
Their songs “Virtuous Sister” and “Excellent Wife” feature quotes from Revive Our Hearts radio programs, with most coming from a series called “Becoming a Woman of Discretion.”
Joseph and Jose had been listening to Revive Our Hearts when they came up with the concept to use Nancy’s words as part of their music.
Joseph's Take
“Jose gave me a call one morning and suggested we use excerpts from Nancy’s radio program,” shared Joseph. “It was crazy because I was thinking the exact same thing. Actually, weeks before, I brought the idea to my wife. She was excited about it since Revive Our Hearts has been a consistent part of our morning routine and devotional life.”
Hip-hop artists often use sermon excerpts to further expound on the content of songs. Joseph and Jose were excited to use Nancy’s words because of her many years of women’s ministry.
“We could've gotten excerpts about biblical womanhood from a solid, sound preacher, but Jose and I were both aware of Nancy and her ministry,” Joseph continued. “One of Nancy’s main goals has been to spread a passion for biblical, gospel-centered womanhood in the hearts and lives of women. For us, it was a perfect fit, since Jose's lyrical content sought to do the same thing.”
Jose's Take
Nancy’s influence on the lives of the women surrounding Jose is what motivated him to explore her words further for a song.
“Nancy's name began to pop up in conversations with sisters at my church and particularly with my girlfriend at the time. On occasion, she would share how Nancy's teaching encouraged and challenged her in her walk with the Lord. That made me decide to look into her ministry, so I began to listen to her radio broadcasts,” shared Jose.
After listening to the Revive Our Hearts radio program, Jose was convinced that Nancy’s words from her own mouth would reach more women who would listen to his tracks.
“After a while," Jose said, "the idea of incorporating Nancy’s teaching into these songs seemed like the most exciting idea I could imagine. It made sense on so many levels:
- the goal of Revive Our Hearts and the hope of how God would use these songs
- the appropriateness of having a woman speak to women
- the impact that ROH has had in the lives of women in my church
- the way God impressed both Joe and me with the same idea before we even brought it up to each other.
"In short, I would say the Lord motivated us."
The Mosaic Mixtape is available on Amazon, iTunes, Bandcamp, and more. CDs are available at www.ChristCentric.net.
Take a listen to a couple songs here:
Click here to listen to "Virtuous Sister"
Click here to listen to "Excellent Wife"
Leave a Comment:
We love hearing from you, and will post your comment as long as it is appropriate, and is written in a tone that is encouraging, edifying, and loving to others. Even then, know that the following comments do not necessarily reflect the views of Revive Our Hearts.
Comments
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:59 am
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 8:10 am
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 9:15 am
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 11:12 am
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 12:53 pm
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Classical, Hip Hop, Rock, Rap music, or any other set of notes, beats and silences are perfectly neutral tools in and of themselves. The message of the gospel from the Word of God is what makes them agents of redemption.
While I won't be listening to rap songs regularly, any time soon, I applaud these creative brothers for making God's message about biblical womanhood available and palatable without compromise to a section of the population who would hardly be reached with other kinds of music. Praise Jesus!!! In Him we have liberty and forgiveness from ALL our sin if only we believe.
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 1:40 pm
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 2:52 pm
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 3:18 pm
To have men upholding and affirming God's standard of womanhood before a culture that continually degrades and cheapens women is very encouraging.
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 4:07 pm
Maybe Satan is loving us trying to label one genre of music as more Christ worthy than another format. I will take country music as my easy example, for the point I'm trying to make. I don't often listen to it but it is sometimes something I really enjoy. When I visited Texas on a trip to a TW event a few years ago I thought it was quaint hearing cuountry twang everywhere...until I was actually able to hear the WORDS!! The most shockingly vulgar lyrics were coming out of such cute background tunes! I was mortified that I was just about smiling along. My point is: the Devil will take anything of our world and corrupt it. Music, is for worshipping God, practically anything I can thing of is for worshipping Him, only man, under Satan's influence, or in his own corrupt flesh, taints what was made to bless.
I also am not much for actual rap, I love artists like Beckah Shae and even some of tobyMac's music because my children and young friends can sit in my car, at my house or theirs and hear God's word in a format that they can relate to. I also use it as an opportunity to minister to them to make Christian entertainment choices, so they can leave behind the poison they may be gladly pouring, not only into their own ears, but the ears of those they may influence TOWARD Christ. Fact be known, some of my most engaging conversations with young people are about how The Lord has blessed me in choosing to support entertainment ministry, instead of spending His money on supporting questionable influences (music, movies, magazines...etc).
I hope to pick up this cd at some point and give it a whirl, I loved hearing dear Nancy in the middle of that mash-up even though I expected it, it still made me smile. It reminded me of how our Saviour chose often to speak to the wretched sinners in parables, on subjects they could easily relate to. I know their ears must have perked up at the mention of their humble careers, like fishing, shepherding, & even the lowliest thing: servanthood.
Peace, love and blessings to you dear sisters,
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:47 pm
on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 11:39 pm
Ladies, you are being deceived in thinking these songs are worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ. We need to do some research into the beginnings of this rap music before embracing it and allowing it into our church and homes.
Rap did not come out of the church but from the devil. You cannot sugar coat it, try to dress it up to look Christian. It is evil plain and simple. God says in Job 14:4, "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one."
In Jeremiah 10:3 God tells us, "Thus saith the Lord, learn not the way of the heathen".
Ladies, we are learning the ways of the heathen by listening to this music.
The world has made its way into the church years ago and people are so blinded they cannot see it.
They accept whatever their pastor or teacher tells them without being a Berean and searching the scriptures to see what God says.
"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Rap gives glory to the devil. As I mentioned before, you cannot change its beginnings into something that pleases God.
God changes not. I'll use an idol as an example. He looks upon an idol as an abomination no matter what we may think of it. Someone may think a little Budda statue is cute and they say they don't worship it, they just think it's cute. God doesn't think it's cute and He said not to bring it into our house.
Someone else may think Ouija Boards are harmless fun. God says they are an abomination.
It doesn't matter what "we" may think about these things, what matters is what God has said. His Word tells us, we just need to read it for ourselves.
"Who will rise for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?"
We must worship our Lord in spirit and in truth.
In Him,
Joni
on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 10:07 am
If one genre of music can only be used to uplift Christ and spread the gospel what is it? God can use whatever He wants and He is using this music to save souls.
No offense, but this argument is old. Having volunteered for a record label that has this type of music with shipping, I had a privilege to see orders from all over the world! It amazes me how far reaching this genre is. And it reaches a demographic that some who have posted may never reach.
Take a listen before you judge, even if it's not your genre of choice.
on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 11:32 am
on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 11:40 am
on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Great job to DJ Average Joe and Zae da Blacksmith for making this innovative collaboration to further spread the message of His kingdom!
on Tuesday, November 13, 2012 at 4:39 pm
This is epic.
on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 6:01 pm
on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 7:51 pm
on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 9:43 pm